[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 02/Jul/2023]
When I was growing up there were numerous songs about love being the answer to the world’s troubles, like “All you need is love” and “What the world needs now is love, sweet love”. I believe that they were right: love is the answer, but they were usually looking at the wrong type of love. Recently in Praise Club (a group for adults with learning disabilities) we looked at the 4 Greek words for love:
Eros – romantic love
Storge – family love
Philia – friendship love
Agape – the selfless love God has for us.
Divorce rates and domestic violence show how romantic love can turn sour and there are few things more painful than unrequited love. The love of parents for their children is usually one of the strongest bonds, yet I have seen so many children and young people who have been rejected or abused by their own families. Friends are a wonderful gift, but they can tire of you, or not want you once they find a partner, or be too busy to see you any more.
The only love that will never let us down is God’s Agape love for us. It is this love that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13 v 4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
It was this kind of love that was shown to me as a troubled 18-year-old, full of anxiety, bitterness and self-pity, by a group of Christians at university and it transformed my life. Now I try to offer the same love to the young people in my care. I often fail, as I am weak and human, but hope that some of God’s love shines through.
Mother Theresa once said: “We are not called to do extraordinary things; we are called to do ordinary things with extraordinary love“.
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Last week’s reflection: Friendships by Dazz Jones
Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © Helen Ruffhead